Chloe's Lost World
by ObviouslyDesperate
Summary: Eh, I'm not really good with summarys, but it's about a chick who goes to the platuea (I'm a creative speller, sue me!) PLEASE READ IT! PG just to be safe!
1. A Getaway You'll Never Forget

Part 1--  
  
The heat radiating off the balloon sent Chloe Aberdeen's deep, rich red curls behind her head with a billow of hot air. She closed her pale green eyes to gaurd them from the heat. Chloe turned to her father who was helping the servants take thier bags out of the car. She looked at her reflection in the window. She was happy with what she saw. Her pretty face and smooth skin which led down to her great figure which she worked hard on every night.  
"When are we leaving, daddy?" Chloe asked, her years of training to sound proper showed when she spoke. She had a Brittish accent that sounded like she had been brought up by the head of an obideince school. She looked up at her father as he twirled a finger around his moustache. Doctor Leonardo Aberdeen of His Royal Navy. Her father was a tall man, so Chloe hardly stood next to him, it made her look shorter then she was, five feet tall, without heels. Leonardo was the most respected doctor in the Royal Navy, and the Aberdeen family lived like royalty themselves because of it. He looked up from the luggage at her.  
"As soon as all of our things get here, Love." He told her and patted her shoulder. She smiled and walked over to the ballon. The trip to an island in the middle of the Atlantic was for her dad to work on an experiment. She was going as an excuse for her parents to spend time with her before she went to college in a few weeks. Chloe looked into the front seat. Her mother sat in the passenger seat with a big white and blue hat covering the majority of her face. What Chloe could see of Jelasia Aberdeen was about two small ringlets barely touching her cheek. Her eyes were closed in despair. She was always in a state of despair, well it seemed like that. Chloe's mother was a woman who lived her entire life in luxury and one day woke up and hated it. Chloe smiled at her mother, whose eyes were still closed.   
There was a loud whistle and Chloe's head shot up. She saw the man loading thier baggage onto the balloon basket. The family servent, Norville came around, out of nowhere, and opened the door for Jelasia. The woman stepped out of the car, Chloe was short like her mother, but not tired. Norville guided Jelasia torwards the balloon. She sat on a large wicker trunk, she didn't need to worry about her weight damaging the trunk though, she was frail and thin. Chloe's father came around into the balloon excitedly.  
"Ready for a tropical getaway you'll never forget, girls?" He shouted when the piolet got into the basket. Chloe smiled and sat on the trunk next to her mother. The piolet pulled on the brass lever and with a shot of hot air, Chloe saw the ground go farther and farther away as she began a trip to a week of vacation. Or so she thought.  
  
***  
  
"Oh, come on now Veronica, Challenger won't mind!" Marguerite taunted. "Besides, how much help in this experiment are you really? Let's go find a nice spot and have a picnic."  
"I'd like to go on a picnic." Said a voice from behind them. Malone stood with an apple in his hand.  
"Isn't eavsdropping one of the seven deadly sins?" Marguerite said and waved him off. She walked away from the two of them and out of the treehouse. Veronica rolled her eyes and smiled at her friend.  
"Ned, what would you say if I told you I had a feeling something was going to happen today?" She asked and crossed her arms with a vauge smile.  
"I'd say we'd better watch for something to happen." He looked out the window as he said this. "You and your gut feelings. The weather's great today." He said obviously trying to change the subject. "Want to go for a swim?" Veronica looked up at him and walk torwards him slowly.  
"I'll race you down to the ground." She said sweetly and quickly, he barely noticed she'd said that until she ran torwards the elevator and pulled on the rope hard with a big smile. Ned laughed and watched the clouds float by slowly past the sun.  
  
***  
  
With a clap of thunder the balloon tipped to the left. Chloe screamed as she was tossed halfway over the basket. The piolet grabbed her by the waist.  
"Are you alright Miss?" He shouted over the weather. Chloe looked around frantically. Her father threw over another bag.  
"Daddy, whats going on? Are we going to be ok?" She cryed. Chloe couldn't see him anymore, they were going through another cloud and she couldn't even see the piolet standing infront of her. But her father could see in front of him, his wife stood by the edge of the basket and looked down into the turbulant waters.  
"Leonardo, we're not going to make it are we?" She asked looking in the same state of sadness as any other day.  
"Jelasia it's alright, we'll be fine. The piolet is getting this all under control." He shouted trying to sound soothing. "Just sit down over here." He said and tryed to take a hold of her wrist.  
"No Leo. I'm not sitting down. We've taken most of the weight off the balloon and yet we are still uncontrollable. I'm not going to live trough this. I'm not strong enough." She sighed. "Don't let Chloe see me." She smiled at him and untied the hat from under her chin. "Give this to her for me." She handed it to him. Chloe looked up and watched as her mother waved at her father and fell backwards into the murky Atlantic ocean. Chloe fainted on the spot. The piolet began to try and revive her but was of no luck.  
"Mr. Aberdeen we need to stay focused if we plan to survive." He said and took the hat out of his hand. Leonardo took it back and placed it over Chloe's face. The winds just got worse and the piolet convinced Leonardo Aberdeen to jump ship and Chloe was left on the floor of the basket with her dead mother's hat on her face. With her father's prayers that she some how survived. Prayer is a wonderful, powerful thing.  
  
{A/N: Ok, so what do you think, if it's not good I'll just get rid of it but I hope you guys like it! Oh by the way: I don't own Lost World or anything (DUH!) Please reply! I LOVE YOU! I wrote it before Malone went away, but of course he's not away, but you know what I mean. Ok? (More mindless rambling)} 


	2. DINOSAURS DON'T CARRY GUNS!

Part 2--  
  
Chloe placed one hand over the left side of her face. Her head throbbed as she stood up she felt the skirt of her dress touch the bridge of her feet. She looked down at the ground and all around her. The balloon floated high over lush vegetation and she began to talk to herself.  
"Where'd the ocean go?" She asked herself and then she got wide eyed "Were'd the piolet go!" She saw that she was the only person on the basket she then remembered the storm, she remembered the piolet throwing over bag after bag and then her mom jumping over the side. Chloe figured her father and the piolet had most likely jumped too. She looked down and sighed. "They're all dead." She realized aloud and tryed to figure out how hard the ground would be if she jumped herself.   
Then Chloe heard a roar from behind her. She almost fainted when she saw a big, brown Tyranasourus Rex standing in front of her with its jaws open wide and it's teeth dripping with saliva. Chloe was scared stiff and a loud bang rang in her ears. She started screaming.  
"DINOSAURS DON'T CARRY GUNS!" She threw one leg over the side of the basket and then heard a man's voice shouting at her. She felt a rumble and the dinosaur was running away. She looked around for the man but couldn't see anyone.  
"Look straight down!" He bellowed and Chloe did so. She could barely see him but there was a man with a gun on his shoulder, his arms outstretched. "JUMP!" He shouted. She looked at him with her jaw dropped.  
"Are you completely crazy?! If I jump I'll get hurt!"  
"No you won't! I'll catch you!" Chloe sat there a moment. She observed her situation. She was a 19 year old Brittish debutaint, in all her feminine attire, her parents were dead, she'd just seen a dinosaur and she was straddling a hot air balloon basket hundreds of feet in the air. It can't get any worse, she thought and bit her lip. She closed her eyes and let her other half fall over the side and with all thought and prayer, plus some screaming, began falling out of the sky into a strange man's arms. She could feel the wind rushing past her, she saw her long hair fly in front of her and her skirt fly up and suddenly with a loud grunt, landed in his arms. He stood her on the ground in front of her and she looked at him in shock. Chloe grabbed his face and kissed him, for quite a while. The man seemed taken aback and when Chloe let go looking somewhat dazed.  
"Thank you, very much." She said wiped some of the lipstick off his face. He shook his head and spoke.  
"Are you all right?" He asked. Chloe was watching the balloon float away. She took the gun off his shoulder and shot up at the big red ball. "What are you doing?"   
"My things are in there, I can't just let it float away!"  
"Your things?"  
"Who may I give the credit of my survival to?" She said ignoring his question. She looked at the man with a smile.  
"John Roxton." He replyed and tipped his hat. Chloe looked at him skeptically.  
"John Roxton died two and a half years ago. Along with the rest of the Challenger expedition. I'm not a fool."  
"I swear on a stack of bibles I am John Roxton, and the rest of the the expedition are alive." He said raising his right hand.  
"People don't survive after living like this for two years." She said and crossed her arms. She looked at him with one eyebrow raised challenging his comment.  
"Dinosaurs don't exist either, do they miss?" He said. Chloe looked sideways and dropped her jaw slightly in thought.  
"Where to Lord Roxton?"   
  
{EEPYS! WHAT DO YOU THINK???? PLEASE R/R! LOVE YA} 


	3. Another Damsal In Distress?

Part 3--  
  
John took her to the treehouse. Chloe hiked up her skirt and climbed over all the rubble in the path.  
"You know this isn't very fair to me," He said and hacked off some tree limbs that stood in the way. "You know me but I don't know you. What's your name?"  
"Chloe Aberdeen." She replyed gracefully, then proceeding to trip over a large branch. She balled her fist and pounded the ground angrily. "Oo" She groaned. " how is a girl supposed to be ladylike around here?" She said and pushed herself up off the ground.  
"That isn't really the biggest problem for most of the 'ladies' around here." Said a voice in the trees across from them. Chloe placed a hand on her chest and Roxton pushed her behind him, ready for a fight. Then out of the bush stepped Maruguriete. John breathed a sigh of relief.  
"You couldn't say hello like a regular person." He stated. Marguriete looked at Chloe standing behind John's shoulder. "Marguriete Krex meet Chloe Aberdeen. Chloe, Marguriete." He introduced them loosely. Chloe brushed some of the dirt off her green dress and wiped her hands. She smiled at Marguriete and out stretched her hand. Marguriete grinned for a second and looked over at Roxton.  
"I'll see you at the tree house. Pleasure to meet you dear." She smiled sarcasticaly and walked back into the bushes.  
"Doesn't seem to be the most personable of people." Chloe said and looked over at John. "Onward I suppose." She said and John cut out another branch.  
When they finally made it to the treehouse Chloe looked at John with skepticism.  
"How in the hell do you get up there?" She asked pointing up. John walked around the tree grabbing Chloe by the wrist and showed her the elevator. She looked at the vines in it. "Are they for going up?" She asked and stepped into the box. John nodded and went in with her. He pulled on the vines until they got up. Chloe looked around in awe. "This," she said with emphasis, "is amazing." She trailed off torwards the bedrooms. Chloe lifted up a curtain and looked into another room. She walked over to a small table by a bed and picked up a wooden jewelry box.  
"Excuse me what are you doing?" Chloe turned around and saw a woman in animal skins and blonde hair. She noticed the knife in her boot and began breathing heavily. Suddenly Roxton called the woman out. Veronica turned quickly and angrily. She walked over to John and started yelling at him.  
"Who, praytell, is that?" Veronica sounded very perturbed.  
"Who? Oh, the redhead? That's Chloe."  
"Yes well, Chloe, was snooping through my things."  
"I'm sure you're exaggerating. She has been through a lot."  
"Oh another damsel in distress? Like the last one who'd 'been through a lot' and turned   
out to be a Voodoo princess out to kill us all! John, you have this uncanny ability to find these wemon who are in trouble but then turn out to be murderers or thieves, or spies or...."  
"Excuse me," Veronica's lement on John's choice of helpless victems was interrupted by of all people, Chloe. "I'm sorry if I caused any tension or anything, but I didn't mean to. I just found this place and Lord Roxton helped me and I didn't know what all these things were. Please forgive me for anything I did wrong, but I didn't take any of your things. You can check me if you want, John." She said patting her sides. Veronica raised an eyebrow at Roxton.  
"Yes, John you could, very innocently, check her. But only if you want." Veronica said and walked away. Chloe felt a burden of guilt.  
"Did I make the two of you fight?"  
"No you didn't do anything wrong Chloe." But Chloe felt like she had. As Veronica went down she heard a man's voice speaking with her and then the elevator coming back up. An elderly man in his late fortys came in the treehouse and hardly looked up from his book as he stepped around Roxton and Chloe.  
"John, it was amazing what I found today. An animal with green speckles and scales that lived in a tree. It was bloody amazing.... Well," The man trailed off and looked at Chloe. "who, who is this?" He sputtered.  
"This is Chloe Aberdeen. Chloe, this is Professor Challenger."  
"It's an honor to meet you sir." Chloe said and outreached her hand.  
"You know of me, then?"  
"I just found Chloe." John said.  
"You make me sound like a stray dog Lord Roxton." Chloe laughed.  
"She was floating near the east in a balloon. Usual story, big storm, everyone else onboard died."  
"Yes, well, nice to meet you Chloe. I'll see you later John, I need to go into the lab." And Challenger walked away. Chloe noticed a hint of skeptism in his voice after Roxton told him about discovering her.  
"Why does it seem like no one likes me here but you?" Chloe asked and sat down in a large straight back wooden chair.  
"They don't know you yet." Roxton looked out the window, the sun was setting. He wasn't going to leave Chloe out there in the jungle. How am I going to convice them to let her stay tonight, Roxton thought. He sighed heavily. "You just stay here. I'll be back in a little while."  
"Where are you going?" Chloe chased after him as he walked torwards the elevator. "I'm scared to be here by myself." Chloe admited as she grabbed his arm.  
"You're not by yourself. Challenger's here." John said and motioned torwards Challenger in the lab, busying himself with beakers and sparks. Chloe looked at him skeptically. (A/N: Lots of skeptism in these first few chapters huh?)  
"Can he defend himself from a dinosaur?"  
"He's perfectly capble of taking care of things. I'll be back before dark." Roxton looked down at his arm where Chloe's long fingers were grasping him for dear life. She looked genuinly scared. Chloe let go of him and nodded.  
"Alright. Sorry for seeming so clingy." She laughed.  
"It's fine. I'll see you in a little bit." He went down on the elevator. Chloe watched him out the balcony as he walked out the gate into the jungle. There was a loud bang and Challenger came running out to the big woodend table and splashed a pitcher of water on his face. Chloe raised an eyebrow at him as smoke came up from head. His beard was slightly cinged.  
"Experiment got slightly out of hand." Challenger explained. Chloe smiled and Challenger returned to his work. She pulled a chair by the balcony railings and rested her chin on her hand and waited.  
  
{SOOOOO? Ok, R/R! Love ya!} 


	4. Oh

Part 4-  
  
"Please, humor me. How much has she been through John?" Marguriete said as the four of them walked through the jungle torwards the tree house.   
"Her parents and piolet died, she has no idea where she is or how to get home. Her story is similar to what happened to us. She was in the balloon above the Atlantic, near Bremuda, and bam she's here."  
"Bam, she has know idea how, does she?" Marguriete questioned.  
"Do you have to be so rude?"  
"Only to those who aren't trustworthy."  
"But she is!"  
"I'm sure." Veronica muttered.   
"It's getting dark we need to be at the tree house." Malone mentioned.  
"How could you leave her alone with Challenger? He's probably dead by know." Marguriete laughed.  
"Would you quit. She's honestly scared." Roxton said angrily. "Besides don't you have some history with bad judgment?"  
"What do you mean." Marguriete stammered.  
"Oh, I think we all can remember the charming man who turned out to be on of the three people who commited the White Chapel murders. And then there was the General who tried to trap us all on a haunted Dridgible."  
"Simple charachter misjudgments." Marguriete said quietly. "But they never killed any of us."  
"I think the general killed me." Malone offered.  
"Shut up, Ned." She said through gritted teeth. They finally got to the tree house. A small bird lay beside the electric fence, obviously scorched by the fence.  
"Poor thing, didn't see where it was going before it was too late." Said a voice from near the gate.   
"Chloe, well now is a good time to properly introduce you all. Chloe, this is Ned Malone, Veronica, and Marguriete Krex." Roxton said and motioned torwards them in turn.  
"The reporter and the geologist. I don't know who you are though." She said sweetly. "Veronica is probably the one who kept you all alive! Have you lived in the wilderness long?"  
"Long enough." Veronica replyed.  
"Why don't we get up to the tree house, I'm sure Challenger has found something interesting to show us." Roxton suggested. They all climbed into the elevator. Chloe didn't seem to notice them all standing very far to her left while they went up. George Challenger was at the big wooden table pulling in another chair for Chloe when they got up.  
"Dinner." Challenger said and went into the kitchen, bringing back a big bowl of fruit. Marguriete and Veronica went in together whispering quietly.  
"What do you think she's got up her sleeve?" Veronica asked and grabbed the pitcher of water.  
"I'm not sure, but if history repeats itself, as I assume it will, sleeping will be a slight problem for me tonight." Marguriete carried in a few plates to the table. Chloe was sitting in a chair next to Malone.  
"I'm very interested in reading about all you've done on this island." Chloe said.  
"It's not an island, it's a plateau." Marguriete corrected her.  
"Don't you think a vicious killer would know that?" Roxton whipsered to her.  
"I bet she does, she just doesn't want us to think she's a vicious killer." Marguriete whipsered to him. "Would you like some fruit, Chloe?" She said in a much more charming voice.  
"Yes please." Chloe said and took the bowl. "But, either way, I'd love to hear about all of your adventures. I'm sure you have a new one everyday."  
"Not always." Professor Challenger said.   
"Don't the dinosaurs come around her all the time?" Chloe asked him and began to stab her fruit with a fork.  
"Well yes, but they aren't always an adventure to deal with."  
"George, you make us sound like we can handle anything." Malone said with a laugh.  
"Raptors are hardly much to handle for us anymore." Roxton said and patted his hip where he kept his hand gun.  
"This is just amazing. How have you survived all this time?" Chloe asked after she finished chewing up some sort of citrus.  
"I'm not completely sure. It's just been mixture of things." George said and poured some water in a glass.  
"When I get back to England this is a story for the front page. Why haven't you come back yet? Do you really like it here?" Chloe felt the air get heavy. She had, unbeknownst to her, hit a nerve.  
"We don't know how to get back, much less where we are." Marguriete said and unfolded a napkin in her lap.  
"But if you don't know how to get back... How am I supposed to..." Chloe realized just then that she was stuck. Her life was now caught in a knot, right in it's prime, she'd never go back to civilization. "Oh." She said, the revelation in her voice was obvious. It was a somber feeling now. Marguriete almost felt like maybe Chloe was innocent afterall. They ate in silence for about twenty minuetes then an arrow went zooming past Veronica's face.  
"My God!" She shouted. The arrow stuck to one of the support beams, with a note on the stick of it. The paper looked primative but the handwriting inside wasn't. Chloe stayed in her chair bugg-eyed and looked up at the group while they read. John read aloud.  
"I'll find you soon, my love." He looked up at Veronica and then Marguriete. They were looking at eachother with a sure look on their faces. Chloe looked up at John with worry in her eyes.  
"I think we should just get to bed." George said and began to put things away. "Malone will fix you a palette on the floor with some blankets, Chloe."  
"Was that sent by Indians?" Chloe asked to everyone.  
"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" Veronica asked.  
"What?" Chloe looked at Veronica curiously.  
"Who's this to? You, possibly?"  
"I would say not, I've been here no more then four hours."  
"Is that how long your acomplise has been here?"  
"What acomplise?"  
"I don't know, you're the one who's being interrogated here, not me?"  
"Veronica quit it." Roxton said. "VERONICA!" He bellowed loudly. Everyone's heads turned to him. "I don't know exactly why or how, but I don't think she's done ANYTHING wrong. You hear me? Stop giving her the evil eye, stop questioning everything, and quit being such a... rude person towards her."  
"Fine." She said and walked away. Her reply to him was short and to the point. It was four letters the said multitudes. It said she knew Chloe had done something, she knew one of them would be dead in the morning and that she wasn't going to stop believing this until proved otherwise. But for now, fine would do. 


	5. Teach Me To Use A Gun

Part 5-  
  
Chloe had been at the treehouse for three days. Veronica and Marguerite's suspicions had eased a bit but she was still under watchful eye. When ever there was a hunting or exploration trip someone had to stay back with Chloe. She was scared something would get her, a dinosaur or a savage or something of that manner. Chloe was interested in learning how to protect herselt though.  
"Lord Roxton?" Chloe asked one day while the two of them sat on the balcony waiting for the rest of the crew to come back.  
"Chloe, you can call me John." He replied with a polite smile.  
"Right then, John, could you show me how to use a gun?" She asked. The unorthodox of it all was humorus. Chloe, a girl who'd never had to take care of herself in any form, never got really dirty in all her life, was asking, begging even, to use a dirty, heavy gun.  
"I suppose I could." He said after a moments silence. They sat there quietly for a while. Chloe marveled over one of Malone's journals and John watched diligently for someone in the jungle.  
"There's no way out of this place at all?" She asked. John looked at her, her eyes were welling with tears.  
"I don't know. But if there isn't, it's not all that bad. That's not what Marguerite would have you think but that's the truth. I've said it once before and I'll say it again, this expidition has been the highlight of my life." John said. In more ways then one, he thought silently, his mind drifting to Marguerite. Chloe smiled at him. Of course he likes it, he's a hunter. I don't like it, it's dirty, it's scary and it's wild. She thought with a sigh and then turned to the rifle on the ground.  
"So when are you going to teach me?" She asked and motioned towards it.  
John laughed. "You're ready now?" He asked. Chloe nodded. "Alright." He picked up the gun and handed it to her. "Hold it like you think you're supposed to." He instructed. Chloe picked it up and rested the heavy piece in the back on her shoulder and layed her cheek down on top of it. She leveled her eyes over the long black pipe and her fingers on the trigger. "Good, good." He congratulated. "But here, watch." He placed the gun in a somewhat different position on her shoulder and moved her head slightly. She turned to him with the gun pointed at him. "Alright, good postion now shoot it. No not at me, that way into the trees." Chloe turned and shot at a big tree. The recoil knocked her across the room.  
She moaned and groaned as she pulled herslef up off the wall. She'd hit a part of the actual tree the treehouse sat on. The back of her head and all down her spine ached. John helped her up and laid her down in the nearest bed, which happened to be Malone's. Chloe was sprawled out face down on the bed as Roxton ran to the icebox Challenger had constructed and grabbed a handful of ice. He dashed back to Chloe who still ached terribly. He put the ice in a sack beside Malone's bed and put it on her neck and another sack in the middle of her spine. She muttered her thanks and he smiled.  
"I don't think you're ready for a big gun like that yet. Maybe tomorrow I'll get you started on a smaller piece." He said. She winced silently as she turned her head to smile at him.  
"If I live through the day then yes, a smaller gun would be very nice." Roxton left the room and sat in the chair Chloe had been sitting in. He picked up Malone's journal off the arm of the chair. It was open to the page documenting one of the many times they had been fooled to believe they had found away off the Lost World. This one wasn't that long ago. How Malone had gotten it down he wouldn't know. Hell, Ned was dead when this happened. He thought. It was when the trickster god had tried to make Marguerite immortal, by killing her. Just the thought of death must have triggered something in Chloe's mind that she wasn't going to leave and that's why she asked. Roxton put the journal back on the shelf.   
  
***  
  
Veronica threw a dead bird in a sack George had been carrying. They'd been collecting food for a few hours, leaving Chloe and home with Roxton.  
"I don't know Veronica." Malone said as he kicked a limb out of the way of the trail.  
"How can you question that arrow?" She asked.  
"But I seriously doubt she's a killer. She can't even fend for herself enough to be alone in the tree house." Malone defended Chloe. He didn't know why but Roxton had a point the other night, there was no reason to believe she was bad for them.  
"Veronica, that arrow could be to anyone." Challenger said. Marguerite doubts had subsided but Veronica made a good argument.  
"She's right. What proof has she given us?" Margurite said.  
"If you'd give her three seconds to speak..." Malone's voice trailed off as Marguerite and Veronica eyed him. It took them about twenty minuetes to get back to the treehouse. They went up the elevator with mild disscusion and saw Roxton sitting in a chair cleaning his gun.  
"Good afternoon." He nodded.  
"Where's Chloe?" Marguerite asked suspiciously.  
"Sleeping." He replied. They looked towards her palette by the window and she wasn't in there.  
"She's gone, probably to..."  
"She's in Malone's bed, Veronica."  
"Why's Chloe in my bed?"  
"She was using the gun and the recoil knocked her into the tree," He motioned towards the tree that had so badly hit Chloe. "It seemed quite painful, she could hardly move. I had to carry her in there. I put ice on her back where it hurt most. Was that wise, George?" Roxton asked.  
"No, you should have left her disabled that way we could figure out what she wanted." Marguerite said angrily.  
"All she wants is a place to sleep and a roof over her head." John defended. Malone went into his room and left John and Margurite to their arguing. She looked very peaceful. Very innocent,laying there sleeping. Not like Veronica penned her at all. Veronica was almost always right. But there's room for error I suppose, he thought silently. She moved her head and he saw her wince slightly. He took the ice off her back, it was melting, and began towards the icechest. He dumped the melted ice out the side of the treehouse. He scooped some into the bags and went back to his room. Chloe was sitting back and rubbing the small of her back.  
"Does that hurt bad?" He asked.  
"Very much. I've never been in so much pain in my life." She said quietly.  
"Here's some more ice."  
"Are you on Chloe duty?"   
"Don't make it sound like a burden. But no. We're all back. I just wanted to see how you were."  
"You think I'm safe don't you?"  
"Yes, I think your fine." Ned laughed slightly. "Is this when you knock me in my head with a big stick and a fight insues, leading to your death?"  
"God, I hope not." Chloe laughed and put the ice sack behind her back. "I'm sorry I'm in your bed."  
"Think nothing of it. I hope you feel better soon. George thinks it'd be good for you to leave the treehouse. Maybe go after that balloon you were on. Your things in there might be useful for some experiments."  
"Professor Challenger wants to use my things for science?" Malone nodded. "Please take this in the nicest way possible, but I don't want my stuff ruined." Ned laughed.  
"Maybe we'll take you tomorrow and see if your things are still there." Just then Malone and Chloe heard a suprised shout. The walked out of his room and into the living quaters. Another arrow was lodged in the wall. Right next to the hole where the first arrow had struck.  
"Read it George." Veronica said. Challenger walked up to the arrow and pulled it out of the wall. There was a note on this one too.  
"My raven beauty, I watched you sleep." They all took a step back in disgust, as if the letter were contaminated with what ever was in it.  
"That's disturbing." Veronica said.  
"I'm officially scared." Chloe murmered and sat down in a chair slowly, the ice pack still on her back.  
"That's to me." Marguerite realized.  
  
{A/N: Alrighty! I have a few things to say: Thanx to all of you who've been reviewing, and to the folks who corrected me on my elevator machanics! And to TLWROX for setting me straight on how to spell Marguerite's name. Please R/R! Enjoy!} 


	6. Thank You

Part 6-  
  
Marguerite grabbed a sack and tossed a small gun in it. She gave it to Chloe and they went down the elevator. Roxton, Malone, Veronica and George were already down at the trunk of the tree house. They were going to find her balloon today. It took half a day's walk to get to the open field where Roxton had found her a week before. They walked for another half-hour before finding the deflated, red balloon lying on the ground in a big mess of trees. Chloe ran to a big wicker chest and began to pull clothes out. She draped a long maroon silk dress across her front.  
"Look at it! Isn't it beautiful?" She asked Marguerite.  
"Silk." Veronica said as she ran her fingers across the fabric.  
"Yes, I have my own flock of silk worms in Japan." Chloe said and waved the dress around. Marguerite looked at her funnily. "Well, it's not just mine, our family owns it." Marguerite picked up a picture out of the trunk. Leonardo, Jelasia and Chloe stood in a photo room very stiffly. Marguerite went bug eyed.  
"You're Chloe Aberdeen. Leonardo Aberdeen's daughter!"  
"Yes I said that before."  
"But you didn't mention your father. He's a genius!"  
"Well yes. I suppose you could call him that. That's why we were on this God forsaken balloon. He was on his way to an island in the Atlantic for an experiment about bacteria or something like that."  
"Do you think your father's journals might still be around?" Challenger asked and picked up a few ripped pieces of paper.  
"No, all of my father's things were tossed overboard in attempt to be able to control the ship."  
"But yours were salvaged?" Malone asked as he grabbed a blue bag with flowers embroidered on it.  
"Well, yes. What if we had made it to that island; I can't wear the same thing for two weeks."  
"This is for two weeks?" Veronica knocked some dirt off another bag. "It looks like two months."  
"Well, I had dinners and tennis, and parties and there's just daywear."  
"Is this yours?" Veronica asked. She picked up a big white and blue hat, covered in dirt. There were footprints on it that looked reptilian. Realization dawned over Chloe's face and her mind went back to the last thing she remembered before coming to the lost world. Her mother's death. She took the hat from Veronica and ran her hands across the brim. She felt her way down the navy blue ribbons that tied underneath her mother's neck. There was hint of make up on the inside part of the ribbons and the inside of the hat. Malone walked over to her and pulled it out of her hand genially. He placed it in a bag and zipped it up. She smiled at him with a nod. They continued to take things. Challenger seemed very interested in the box of books that after looking through ended up having one of Dr. Aberdeen's journals in it. They started home with everyone carrying a bag or two. They were telling Chloe about all the adventures and people they'd encountered. George was explaining to Chloe about the time they'd been captured by Hagens. Suddenly an arrow shot past them and its blade skidded right across Chloe's chest.  
"HAGENS!" She screamed she laid her hand across her scratch. The arrows continued to fly. Veronica covered Chloe with her arms and ran with her to the tree house. Arrows flew by their heads at lightning speed. Chloe looked behind her and saw a tall man with his bow drawn. He had body paint all over him. They ran until they got to the elevator. Chloe heard war calls and screaming as they ran inside. She ran to the side of the balcony and saw the blood dripping slightly from her chest onto the ground below them. The savages were running into the electric fence one by one. Chloe heard a big clunk and turned around. Roxton and Challenger were standing by the elevator with bags at their sides.  
"We had to leave the trunk we'll go back once they leave." John said and motioned to the open balcony.   
"Who were they?" Marguerite asked.  
"I traveled that area with Malone a few weeks ago; it's a group of cannibals, if I'm not mistaken." Challenger said as he carried some of Chloe's bags to her palette on the floor.  
"When are you mistaken, Professor?" Veronica joked. "That's a pretty nasty cut there."  
"Who, me? Oh, yes it is, isn't it?" Chloe looked down at her cut. There was a trail of blood going down the top of her dress. Marguerite dipped a small towel in a bucket of water and walked over to Chloe.  
"You can wipe it with this; the cut should heal soon. We could clean it up a bit and there's some leaves that make the scar go away."  
"No, I think I'll keep my first battle wound." Chloe said and soaked up all the blood that was still wet, and rubbed out the dried.  
"It won't be your last." Marguerite smiled at Chloe and poured herself a glass of water.  
"Veronica, thank you very much for saving me."  
"I didn't save you. I hardly did anything." Veronica sat down with Marguerite.  
"Thank you all. For helping me get all my stuff, for taking me in and for saving me just now."  
"Well, we couldn't leave you to the dinosaurs and harsh environment out there." Marguerite said and poured Chloe her own drink. She took it and put the rag down.  
"I know that if I were in your case I wouldn't take in a stranger without proof she wasn't after my life. I would let her rot."  
"Charming thought, dear." Marguerite said with an uneasy laugh. "I guess we differ in that area." Malone stood on the balcony, leaned against the railings. Chloe smiled and walked over to him. Challenger walked past absolutely engrossed in a journal written by Leonardo.  
"What do you see out there, Chloe?" Ned asked, his gaze still focused on the skyline.  
"I'm not sure what I see yet, Mr. Malone." She leaned against the railing and stretched out her back. The body of one savage was twisting relentlessly as he grabbed a wire on the fence, trying to help himself up. "All I know is it's going to be hard for me to adjust."  
"I don't blame you." He smiled at her. "You run very fast, Chloe."  
"You would too if you lived in high society for nineteen years and then you see an arrow flying past your neck." Chloe rubbed her wet chest. The cut had stopped bleeding entirely.  
"Well, it's getting dark." He said and pointed to the sky where the sun was going down. "I think Marguerite might try to make dinner tonight. A word for the weak of stomach, don't eat it." He smiled and walked to Veronica. Veronica and Malone stood next to each other for a second just looking at Chloe.  
"You helped save her life Veronica."  
"I did not. I just guided her to the tree house."  
"She wouldn't have gotten back unless you'd helped her. She'd be in a pot right now with some carrots and boiling water." Malone laughed and Veronica rolled her eyes. "You still don't trust her." Veronica opened her mouth to answer but stopped when Marguerite ran out with another arrow note. She read it aloud, everybody huddled around her.  
"Those were from me, my dear." Marguerite looked up at John. "Do you think he means the savages?"  
"I doubt it." Veronica said. She'd moved to the tabled. Her fingers were delicately touching a petal on a bright pink flower. There was a bouquet of flowers in a green glass vase. Marguerite dropped her jaw and walked over to the table.  
"He's been in the tree house." 


	7. Greggory And Liam

Part 7-  
  
"Greggory! Get over here, now damn you!" Shouted a man. He stood there in long black robes. He looked very regal and important. His brown hair was slicked back and his brown eyes had flecks of gold in them. He was a handsome man, relativly well built. In his hand he held a bouquet of pink and purple jungle flowers.  
"Yes your majesty?" Groveled the man he called Greggory. Greggory knelt down at his master's feet and kissed his shiney black shoe. Greggory was a short, ugly fat man with no self respect. He had black hair and a big nose. His eyes were hardly visible under the thick brow that hung over them. His face was covered in grime and dirt, with disgusting white heads on every few specks of skin. He had one big hairy mole on the right side of his nose.  
"Is everything ready?" The first man asked.  
"Yes, sire. The horse and buggy will be waiting for you temporaraly."  
"Good job, for a squabling pile of nothing."  
"Thank you, sir." Greggory walked away with a bow and picked up a sword of the table. He always felt dashing with one of his master's swords. Greggory placed it in his other hand and twirled it. The sword dropped to the ground with a loud crash. The sound reverberated off the marble floors and into the halls of the giant castle. He suddenly heard a horse and then his master calling him, they had a ways to go tonight. If they were to get where they were going before those people woke. A few of Greggory's majesty's warriors surrounded the buggy and led him and Greggory onto it.  
"Master," Greggory began.  
"I do like being referred to by all these names. Much better then my given name, my wife, she shall call me Liam." Greggory heard the driver hit the horses and then the wheels turn over some small rocks. They were on their way to discovering Liam's happiness.  
They rode for a few hours Liam discussing his soon to be bride. Her long black ringlets, her smooth beautiful skin. Her amazing body. Just her voice made him feel good. Then the dirver stopped. They were in front of the place where his love lived. He grabbed his bouquet and turned the knob on the carriage. His soldiers made a protective wall around the way their leader would walk. Greggory, Liam and two soldiers opened the wooden gate and stalked towards the small wooden box that led into the tree house.  
Once they figured out how to use the elevator they rode up it and into the tree house. The soldiers stood on either side of the elevator door. Liam and Greggory stalked around silently and grabbed a few things off the table and shelves. Then Liam decided it was time to get the prize of this trip. They walked around on the floor looking for her and then Liam fell on the ground, face first.  
"Master!" Greggory whispered loudly. "Are you alright?" He asked and helped him up. The two of them looked down. Liam had tripped over a bundle of blankets that wrapped around Chloe who was lying on the ground asleep. Liam brushed her hair behind her ear. A red curl tickled the back of her neck and she moved slightly.  
"I've never seen this one before." He said and rubbed his fingers across her cheek. "I like her. I want her."  
"What about your Raven beauty?" Greggory asked. Quoting his master's poetic words to the object of his affection.  
"She doesn't intruige me the way this one does. I've watched them for months and never seen her. Help me wake her up." Liam sat her up and Chloe opened her eyes lazily. She saw the face of the man and had no idea who he was. She opened her mouth to scream but Liam covered it.  
"Tisk, tisk. If you make any noise, I will kill you and set fire to this tree house, with all of these other people in it, do you hear me?" Chloe nodded. "Good." He removed his hand but not before Chloe bit his finger. "You ingrate!" He scorned. "Greggory," Liam called for his servant. "now." He had a cooking pan in his hand and he hit Chloe on the side of her head with it. She passed out and Liam called for his soldiers. One of them grunted to Liam and lifted her up over his shoulder. The other one gave Liam an arrow, a sheet of paper and a pencil. The two of them went down the elevator. Greggory and Liam stood there until the elevator returned to the top. Liam wrote his letter and wrapped it around the arrow and thrust it into the wall. Greggory and Liam left to go back to the castle.  
  
***  
  
"Roxton, John, Dammit John wake up!" Marguerite shook him violently in his bed. He was still half asleep.  
"Why, Marguerite, what exactly are you doing in my bed so early in the morning?" He said in a sly, sort of drunken way.  
"Chloe's gone." She said. He shot up and they went into the living area. Malone held the note and was reading it. Veronica looked up at him as he entered the room.  
"We'll be able to find her." She said with much resolve. John toook the note and started to read it to himself.  
'Ah, the hunter, the genius, the note taker, the huntress and the one I once craved, how good of you to care about this young lady enough to take her in. I have taken this burden off of you, she is now in my possesion and is soon to be my bride. She is new to your group I noticed. Well, I notice everything about you all. I've been watching you for many months. This girl, I have yet to see. Well, aurvoir, as they said in France.' 


	8. Your Love?

Part 8-  
  
Chloe opened her eyes slowly. She saw a bundle of red curls in her eyes and tucked them behind her ears. She sat up quickly and felt a satin red sheet slide down her front. The left side of her head, still slightly sore from fainting in the hot air balloon, throbbed again. She looked around the room and couldn't believe her eyes. The walls were cold, gray stone and she was lying in a humongous bed with four tall mahogany poles holding up a long strand of white material that reached down to curtains, which at the moment were drawn back with golden tassels. She had at least ten duck down pillows at her head and she watched as the candles cast eerie shadows on the walls. She slung her legs over the side of the bed and felt a cold, scaly body climbed up her ankle. She screamed as a long green snake wrapped itself around her leg. She shook it off into the floor. Chloe looked down and realized the floor was moving. But she was wrong, it was all snakes slithering around in huge piles, they covered the entirety of the room. Chloe curled up in a ball in the bed with the sheets still clinging to her body. Then the door opened.  
"Ah, my dear you have woken up." Said a voice. There was a bright shining light behind him and wth the way the shadows cast, she couldn't see his face. He began to step down off the stone platform that was in front of the door.  
"I wouldn't come down here; it's covered in snakes!" She exclaimed. He laughed and continued to walk. As if it were Moses, parting the Red Sea, the snakes went to two sides and cleared a path for the man to walk. Chloe's jaw dropped. "How'd you do that?" She sputtered. He came closer to her bed and Chloe leaned back and started moving her legs and rolled onto the opposite side. Her hair dangled over the side of the bed as he sat down.  
"Would you like something to drink?" He asked. She could see his face now as the light flicked on it. She didn't know what wind was moving it; there were no windows. She shook her head and eased up a bit.  
"Where am I?" She asked him. He traced his finger down the pattern of waves on her red sheets and smiled up at her.  
"What is your name my love?"  
"Your love?" She asked and looked around again. She tried to think if maybe she'd missed something along the way but she had not. She had no idea who this was. "My name is Chloe. Who are you?"  
"Chloe? Chloe, what a beautiful name. It just rolls off the tongue. Queen Chloe. Ah, I like it." He smiled again.  
"I'm really confused here."  
"Is there anything you need, anything at all?"  
"An explanation would be nice."  
"We will talk about that tonight at dinner. Until then," He leaned over and kissed her. Chloe kept her eyes open and tried to get him off of her. After he finally got off he smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "Farewell."  
  
***  
  
"The wheels and hove tracks go this way!" Veronica shouted. They'd been following tire and horse tracks for forty-five minetes now and not found where they led. Malone called for Marguerite, Roxton and Challenger as they went towards Veronica. She stood by the path they were on and looked bewildered.  
"What is it, Veronica?" Marguerite asked.  
"They just stop. They don't go behind a stone wall, or into the ocean or up a tree. Hell, they don't even go on and lead us to a village. They just stop!" She walked around the spot were the tracks abruptly stopped. John crouched very far down on the ground and looked down and onward.   
"I don't know what to do now. Ned, what do you think? Ned? Ned, where'd you go?" Veronica asked.  
"Over here! I found some more tracks." He shouted. They ran through a huge area of trees to Malone who was standing over a set of tracks that were identical to the ones they had encountered previously.  
"Do you think they were the same buggies?" Marguerite asked.  
"Yes, the other one was obviously hand made and it would be hard to make wheels exactly the same for two different buggies." Challenger observed.  
"Then how did this happen? The trail doesn't go in any sort of a circle." She answered back.  
"I don't know. But these tracks should lead to the place where Chloe is." He said "so, if that is the case. Let's go."  
  
***  
  
"Would you rather wear green or red?" Said the short plump brunette in front of Chloe. She was holding the two dresses in front of her bed. She had made the snakes clear a path for her as well.   
"Red, what is this whole dinner thing about?" Chloe asked as the woman laid the red dress on Chloe's bed. She herself was dressed all in black, like the man who'd come in earlier.  
"It's for you and your groom to get to know each another." The woman nodded and bowed to Chloe. She then walked out of the room and the snakes separated. Chloe didn't take her chances of changing on the ground and she got up in her bed and pulled the dress on. It was long and very low in the front. There were black gloves that went with it and Chloe pulled them on her hands. Chloe slipped on the shoes and sat cross-legged on her bed waiting for someone to come in and help her out of the room. She didn't wait long. The door cracked and a man dressed all in black came in. He was short and ugly.   
"Come with me." He grunted. She followed him daintily and heard the snakes hissing behind her. Chloe looked and the snakes were closing their path as she walked. She swallowed hard and followed the man down a hallway. It was brightly lit. She saw people in the same outfits as the man and woman had been wearing but only a few were in black most of them were in red robes doing their, what Chloe assumed, daily reutine. As she walked past an open window she had her first taste of sunlight in over a day. The people around her smiled and bowed as she past. Chloe nodded at them and kept following the short man in front of her. They reached a set of gigantic double doors. They were a deep mahogony, it matched the four poster she slept in. The engraving on it was ornate and beautiful. The short man grabbed the golden knob and opened the door. Inside a man sat at a long table with food all over it. A warm fire kindled in the corner and in another corner a string quartet played softly. She looked around and realized the room was taller then the tree the treehouse sat on. She gulped and nodded at the short man. He put his nose up and nodded as well. The man flicked his hand and the short man bowed and shut the door. Chloe stood in the doorway and looked on the ground, it was real marble floors.  
"Won't you have a seat dear?" He said and stood. Chloe pulled out the chair that was up to her shoulders out and sat down. The ornate carvings of the chair matched the doors. "Why, Chloe, you seem so amazed by all of my things, like you've never seen such a place.  
"Oh I have." Chloe said trying not to brag. "I've been in Buckingham Palace, and Edmunson Castle and a few other Castles in Brittan. But I doubted I'd see something like this on the plateau."  
"Yes, the plateau. You haven't been on it long have you?"  
"How'd you guess?" She asked as she seated herself. She listened to the quartet play a nice slow song as they spoke.  
"I don't need to. I've been watching your friends for quite some time now." Chloe gasped loudly.  
"I know who you are! You're the man who sent those letters to Marguerite! You're disgusting." She pointed an acusing finger at him across the table.  
"Guilty as charged." He chuckled.  
"You think this is funny? This has scared the living daylights out of all of my friends and I."  
"It's hilarious if you look at it from my point of view."  
"Well, I think you see behind rose colored glasses then, because this isn't funny at all!"  
"You're right. It's romantic isn't it? Sweeping you away from that horrible excuse for a house."  
"That horrible excuse for a house had people in it that were wonderful. Where are they? Did you kidnap them as well?" She asked angrily.  
"No, there'd be no reason to take them."  
"What kind of a man are you? You sicken me! I'm taken prisoner in the dead of night, held in a room full of snakes and then you insult my friends!"  
"First of all, you aren't a prisoner. You can leave whenever you wish."  
"I wish to leave now."  
"You didn't let me finish; you can leave whenever you wish, to take the chance with my pets, palace guards and villagers who need a queen."  
"A queen?"  
"Yes, you see, I am Prince Liam Rienquest. These people are mine. I am their good leader." He laughed. Obviously, his villagers were sorely mistaken about the good part. "But I do not have all the power I crave. I wish to be king, and according to law I cannot do so until I have a bride. This is where you come in my dear."  
"Find someone who loves you, your highness."  
"No need to call me that, we'll be married soon enough. I think we should start thinking of pet names! How about I call you pumpkin and...."  
"How about you shut the hell up! I'm not marriing you! I don't know who you are!" She shouted. The quartet still played. Liam pounded his fist on the table. All the dinner wear shook.  
"I will ask you this," he said through gritted teeth. "Would you rather stay in that pile of wood up in a tree, or in a castle as a queen?" Chloe looked at him down her nose.  
"I'd rather go to the treehouse." Liam closed his eyes and clenched his fist agrily. Suddenly she felt her arm twist back around her. She screamed in pain about how it was going to break and Liam opened his fist. Chloe's arm dangled at her side and she raised it and laid it in her other hand.   
"I will ask you again. Would you rather stay in the tree house or here?"  
"Treehouse." She said. She felt his hand around her neck. But he was at least six feet away at the other end of the table with his eyes closed. She started gagging and he waved his hand and he let go of her neck, though she wasn't quite sure how he had a hold of it.  
"This is the last time. Tree house?" Chloe looked down at the finger marks on her arm and felt the heat of an Indian burn on her neck and sighed.  
"No." She muttered.  
"Well, I'm glad you've decided." He smiled as if he had nothing to do with it. "Pass the potatoes please."  
  
{I was sitting on FF.N and I thought to myself, I said, Myself, what would be a good next chapter and Myself replyed, It should be about Liam and I smiled at Myself and the two of us, along with Me (Myself's cousin from Detriot) went to the mall and bought giant cinnamon-sugar pretzels from the PretzelMaker. After I wrote the chapeter of course! Love Ya! R&R please!} 


	9. What's So Damn Funny

Part 9-  
  
"John, are you sure you know where we're going?" Marguerite said and hiked up her skirt as she walked over an irregularly large berry bush.  
"I am absolutely positive." He said with a smile.  
"You're so sure of your self. Why is that?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. She was standing in front of him.  
"Because I can see behind you." Marguerite turned around and saw, over a hill, a village with a gigantic tan castle in the center of it. "Come on." He said and the rest of the party followed. They continued down the hill and as they reached the city's gate a man lay by the tall black wire gate with a tin cup.  
"Money?" He asked up at them. Ned laughed to himself; he hadn't needed money in three years. They walked past the beggar and Veronica looked at him sympathetically.  
"There's no need for money on the plateau." John said. "What kind of place is this?"  
"I don't know." Veronica murmured and looked around. Men walked past in fine clothes and gold jewelry with other people following them carrying burlap sacks. An apple fell out of one of the sacks and she picked it up. "This is different." She said and looked up towards the castle. They went towards it and a man was leaned up against a wooden stand, smoking something. He blew smoke in Marguerite's face.  
"Excuse you!" She coughed and blew it away from her face.  
"What are you all here for?" He asked.  
"Why wouldn't we be?" Challenger asked. The man took another puff of his 'cigarette'  
"Because you don't live around here."  
"Where is around here?" Veronica asked.  
"Stenstone, kingdom, well not really a kingdom of..."  
"Why isn't it a kingdom?" Roxton asked the man.  
"To be a kingdom you need a king. But in a few days we'll have our king." The man showed some fake enthusiasm.  
"Why do I have the feeling Chloe has something to do with this soon to be king?" John asked no one in particular.  
"How do we get to speak with this, well, what ever he is?" Ned asked.  
"Prince Liam? You have to get into the castle." He blew out his smoke in Marguerite's face again.  
"Could you not do that!" She shouted at him.  
"Eh, how do you get in the castle?" Challenger asked, trying to calm Marguerite down. The man laughed.  
"Get captured, then you can go into the dungeons, but I wouldn't do that."  
"I'm sure there is a safer, more legal way to get in." Challenger said. The man shook his head.  
"Not unless you want to take a chance with the prince's guards."  
"Well, thank you for your time." Challenger nodded his hat to the man and they walked away.  
"Stenstone," Veronica was in deep thought. She looked up at the castle. "That name sounds so vaguely familiar."  
"Do you remember your mother and father ever saying anything to you about it?" Ned asked. They were going towards the castle.  
"I don't know, but the name sounds so familiar. And Liam. Liam who?" She asked herself. Suddenly there was a loud horn blowing from the balcony in the center of the castle. They all looked up, as did everyone else. Two men stood at the edge of the balcony. They looked exactly alike, cropped black hair, muscular build, stern face and long red robes. A man came out. He was wearing long black robes, like the other two men's clothes. He smiled down at them. People fell to the ground in praise all around the village. The man raised his hand and the praising ceased.  
"What is it that you want?" He shouted to the people from his platform.  
"A queen!" They exclaimed over and over again. The man with the cigarette rolled his eyes and waved his hands while he spoke. Obviously not everyone wanted a queen. The man smiled at the people and went back in his castle. The two other robed men followed him.  
"They all start praising him at the drop of a hat? He doesn't seem like such a good ruler." Veronica said and looked to her friends. John looked at her and then back up to the empty platform.  
"I still think we need to figure out about Chloe. Something tells me, that she's been involved with this somehow."  
  
***  
  
"Did you hear that!" Liam shouted angrily at Chloe. "How can you be so heartless as to not give the people what they truly want!" He spat when he talked and Chloe turned her head so it didn't get in her face. "Can't you be considerate of anyone but yourself for once, Chloe?" He asked in a lower, softer tone.  
"What? You kidnap me in the night, knock me out, keep me in a room guarded with snakes for two days now, and your telling me to be considerate?" She shouted at him and stood up from the small, wooden straight-backed chair.  
"Sit down," He motioned with his hands and she, involuntarily and by the use of magic, sat down.  
"How do you do things like that? You twisted my arm last night at dinner and almost choked me! How are you doing things to me with out touching me?"  
"Is it your business, quit interrupting me!" Liam was angry now. He rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. "You already decided you were staying here. Why does it matter how? All that matters is you just quit being so heartless." Chloe closed her eyes as he spoke and hoped to God that somehow, the expedition to help her was going on right now. She envisioned what everyone was doing to make some sort of contraption to save her.  
Challenger was making out the plans for a giant retriever/sling shot. John and Ned got the materials while Veronica went hunting for where Chloe'd gone. Marguerite was helping Challenger use diamonds and crystals to use as mechanical things to turn the gears on the contraption. Chloe laughed aloud at the thought of all of them putting so much effort forth to help her. And Liam didn't like that as he was in mid-rant about her actions.  
"WHAT'S SO DAMN FUNNY!?" He bellowed loudly. Chloe opened her eyes in suprise and fear. Liam reached his hand back, Chloe knew he was going to hit her. He slung his fist forward fast and as he was a few inches from her face, a palace guard ran through the door panting.  
"Five, people," said the tall man with sandy blonde hair. "trying, to, burn, down, the castle." He managed. Liam forgot all about Chloe and ran out of the room. Chloe got up to leave but felt it pointless. Hopefully the castle would set fire and she could escape. But she doubted it seriously. She was alone in the room with an open window to her right. She got up and looked out at the land below her.  
There was a small market place right in front of the castle and she could see people going about their daily lives. She could faintly hear the sound of a baby crying and a mother yelling at him to shut up near the castle, the prince could be asleep. She was louder then her baby.  
  
***  
  
"This palace is so big. What do you think this prince is making up for?" Roxton said as he hit the corner of the castle with the end of his gun.  
"My lack of patience for vandals!" Shouted a voice from the stone steps leading to the front of the castle. The five of them looked up from what they had been destroying and suddenly realized this hadn't been such a good idea.  
  
{A/N: Yeah I know I stole that thing Roxton said from Shrek, but gimmie a break man! I was suffering! I just couldn't think of anything else. Anywhoodles! Tell me what you think! Buh-Bye! Love ya!} 


	10. Not Half Bad

Part 10-  
  
"DAMMIT!" John shouted as he threw his hat against the wall of the small cell. The black barred door and the hay on the floor really gave it that certain, how you say, sucky feel.  
"Calm down, John." Veronica said and she grabbed his forearm. "Why we felt it nessecary to get captured to get in the castle, I'll never know, but we're in. We're one step closer to finding Chloe." She said quietly.  
"Christ, Veronica! It's like taking one step foward and two steps back!" He said and started rubbing his forehead. "God knows where Challenger, Malone and Marguriete are."  
"That guy wasn't bluffing," She said and rubbed her hand on the wall. "he must have been watching us for quite a while. He knows who we work best with and who the smartest one of us all is."  
"He knows to keep us all apart," He began. "the psycho knows our thinking process!" He screamed. Marguriete heard a faint murmer in another cell.  
"Do you hear something?" She asked and looked up at Malone who was drilling into the wall with a knife he had hiddin in his inner thigh.  
"Uh-uh." He murmered and bit his tounge as he kept spinning the knife into the wall.  
"How you found a sheath for that, I'll never know." She said and tugged at a tuft of hay from the block of it she was sitting on. Malone lauged.  
"Marguriete, I think I see light." On the other side of that light, laied Chloe, sobbing into red satin pillows.  
"I'm never going to get out of here, I'm going to marry Liam Rienquiest and I'm going to have to be locked in a dungeon for my entire life!" She wailed. The light Malone saw was a candle flickering in the wind that wasn't even in the room. It just flickered. Chloe sat up and wiped under her eyes with the sheet. Then, she heard a voice from the wall behind the canopy pole. She recognized it slightly.  
"Hello?" She heard him say. "Hello? Have you seen a short red head with curly hair and..."  
"Ned?" She asked and pulled back the canopy curtain.  
"Chloe?" Chloe squealed at him.  
"My Goodness, Ned, are you alright?"  
"Yes, we're fine?"  
"We?"  
"Marguriete is in here with me."  
"Where's Veronica and John and George?"  
"I don't know. This prince has divided us."  
"Liam. He knows everything about us!"  
"Are you all right?"  
"Yeah."  
"How's your dungeon?"  
"Heh, dungeon. That's a word for it. It's HUGE! There's this huge bed with mahogany canopy posts and red satin sheets. The bed's big enough for twelve people! I'm not exaggerating here. And then there are these candles up on the walls."  
"Really, doesn't sound half bad."  
"Oh, yeah. Did I forget to mention the snakes on the entirety of the ground? The fact that if I step off the bed at all the snakes lunge at me and try to kill me?"  
"Maybe it is half bad."  
"If not worse." Suddenly the door swung open and she dropped the curtain. A man came in, dressed all in black. He walked over to the bed and jumped up on it. He jumped up and pinned her down. The candle light caught his face and she could not tell who it was. He began to take off his robes and threw them down on the bed. She started to scream but he took out a knife and put it to her throat.   
"Shut up, and stay still." He said. Chloe heeded his advice but then, when he wasn't paying attention, she kneed him in the stomach and he rolled off the bed. He started shouting loudly. "MY ROBES! THROW ME MY ROBES!" Chloe picked up the black garments and rubbed her hand on the sleeve. The man was engulfed in snakes. He shrieked and then he was silent. She felt the robes and then looked up. She turned to the small hole where she'd been talking to Ned before.  
"What happened?" He asked frantically.  
"I think I just figured something out."  
  
{A/N: Well, that was crappy, but eh, w/e! Tell me what you think! Buh-Bye!} 


	11. You Have A Knife

Part 11-  
  
Chloe stood up on the bed and stuck her arms through the sleeves of the robes. She threw the hood over her head and then stood for a moment. These were way too big and her feet couldn't even be seen. But she had to try. She took her right hand and touched her forehead, then the center of her chest; her left shoulder then her right. She stepped down off the bed and then put her other foot down. The snakes dispersed like magic. She had assumed correctly. The snakes had been trained to clear a path for the people wearing the black robes. Thank God she was right. She walked a head and the snakes continued to move. She got to the platform and turned back, the snakes had gone back to guarding the bed. Which was now empty except for a line of pillows covered by the thin satin sheet.  
She opened the heavy door and saw the dark hallway. Chloe walked down the hallway a few feet and saw a caged in room. She saw Marguerite sleeping on a bail of hay and Ned sleeping on the floor. She whispered loudly to wake them up. Chloe saw Marguerite's eyes twitch open as she recognized Chloe's face behind the big black hood.  
"Chloe? What are you doing?" She yawned.  
"Getting you all out of here. Where are John, Veronica and Challenger?" She asked.  
"I don't know, but I would assume they're all in the dungeon area."  
"Common sense." She said with a shrug. "I'll be back." She said and went down the cells. There were faces of all sorts of people in these cages. There were one's that looked like a lizard man. She shuddered with disgust at him but kept going. She started murmuring to herself quietly. "John? Veronica? Professor? Hello, where are you guys?"   
"Right here." She heard. Chloe turned quickly and saw Veronica standing against the bars.  
"Veronica!" She said loudly and then clapped her hand over her mouth.  
"Shush! What's going on?" Veronica asked in a low voice. And with that Chloe explained everything. The snakes, the room, the kidnapping, and now the escape. And all the while, John lay on a hay bail snoring loudly. "Well," She started when Chloe finished. "Challenger should be around her somewhere. When you find him, figure out how you plan on getting everyone out."  
"Oh, that shouldn't be too hard." Chloe said and waved her hand and started to walk away with a smile. "Or could it?" She asked and stopped. But she shouldn't think about that. She needed to find Professor Challenger. On the way down the row of cells she listened closely to the murmuring of all the prisoners. Sooner then later she found him, sleeping caddy corner of the wall with a bundle of hay underneath his head. She made a mental note of where he was and where the other four prisoners were. Then she headed up out of the dungeons, passing her own room, and going into the light of the upper rooms.   
"FRANK!" She heard a man call behind her and grab her shoulder. He wheeled her around and the hood entirely covered her face. He looked at her funnily. "Frank, what's wrong with you?" Chloe was silent. What am I going to say? She thought. She coughed loudly and hacked something up on the man's robes. She gasped and he looked at her funnily. "Oh, sorry didn't know you were sick." He said and walked away. That was a save beyond saves! She thought. Now, where do they keep the keys to this place?  
Meanwhile, in the Royal Tower, Liam was sitting in his bed looking out the window wondering. Wondering, was what he done right? He planned to kill her after the wedding but, was that a good idea? It was easy to take her and then those five coming after her in the middle of the day. They must have actually cared for her. But feelings never meant much to him. He looked at the door and decided to go down to the dungeons to see his new prisoners all at one time. He dressed and called his guards. He had two people escort him to the dungeons and they all stopped at the great door. He instructed them to take Veronica, Roxton, and Challenger into Marguerite and Malone's cell. When this was done, with little struggling, he came into the dungeon. He stood before their cell and looked at them all, clinging to the bars and looking vicious.  
"Oh, well, if you're going to be like that you can all be separated again." He said smoothly.  
"Where's Chloe?" John shouted angrily. Then a chorus of the same grunts and shouts came from the rest of the group.  
"She's perfectly fine. You British always assume the worst." He said with a laugh. "Listen, Chloe left you all in her own free will." He said still smiling.  
"LIAR!" Marguerite shouted. "She wouldn't dare. Chloe Aberdeen is a proper young lady of great pedigree and intelligence. She wouldn't go two inches with a man like you!"  
"Pedigree isn't everything." Liam said with that same putrid smile on his face. "I have Chloe safely in a room sleeping. Waiting for tomorrow, when she will become a queen."  
"What is with men on this plateau and royalty!" Marguerite said in response to the many times she and Veronica had been taken captive in exchange for power over a kingdom.  
"I would like to let you know that you are welcome to come to the wedding. And the ceremony thereafter." He nodded to them. Ned could tell he was hiding something. But what? "You can all attend these events and then go on."  
"You're serious. You would let us go after all the mess we've been through?" Ned asked skeptically.  
"Why not? You are of no use to me, only one of you ever was?" He walked to Marguerite and touched the bottom of her chin and she dropped her head down and bit him. "DAMMIT! That's the second time!" He said angrily. Marguerite eyed him after he said this with a smirk.  
"If Chloe went on her own, why would she want to bite your finger?" Marguerite asked. Liam simmered a moment in front of them and he and his soldiers left, leaving the explorers in the cell.  
"I don't know what to do." Challenger said as he leaned against the wall. Ned went back to his hole in the wall which had grown slightly since he started it the night before. John looked up to him digging into the wall.  
"You have a knife?!" He said and snatched it from Ned's hands.  
"I've had a knife! Give that back, Roxton." He said and grabbed for it fruitlessly.  
"Could you use this for anything, George?" John asked, waving off Ned.  
"Possibly, if I had some sort of plan." He said sarcastically.  
Then, Marguerite said in great disbelief, "You don't have a plan!"  
  
***  
  
Chloe hummed to herself as she attempted to find the keys. They can't be too far off, she thought as she searched the dungeon keeper's quarters. Her luck had amazed her. She had eluded suspicion, to her knowledge, and conversation since leaving the bedroom. And then she found the guard's room unlocked and was now searching quietly looking for the keys so she could get her friends out. Suddenly, out of no where, a huge weigh fell onto Chloe's back with a loud grunt.  
"Damn! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" She shouted loudly, though her shouts were muffled by her face being down in the ground. The person on top of her let up slightly.  
"Chloe?" He said in a surprised tone. It was Malone. Chloe turned on her back quickly and looked up at him, beaming.  
"NED!" She shrieked and hugged him tightly.   
"What are you doing here?" He asked when they let go.  
"What are you doing here?" She asked, still smiling.  
"What are you doing here?" He repeated.  
"What are..."  
"I asked first." He said and helped her up off the floor. "And what are you wearing?" He said and surveyed her from head to toe, well what of her he could see considering the size of the robe.  
"I snuck out and the only way was to wear one of these robes. I was going to come down to the dungeon and save you all from the clutches of Prince Liam, but I see you got out all right." She said. "Now, what are you doing here?"  
"I'm trying to save you from the clutches of Prince Liam and I got out through the bars of our cell door. It was quite hard and my legs hurt, but I think I'll be fine." He said remembering having to squeeze through silently and his muscular legs being squeezed between the space of the bars.  
"I don't think you'll be so fine." Said a hunched figure by the door way. It was Gregory and he had an evil snicker to him that could only mean that they were in trouble.   
  
{A/N: Boy howdy! I took me long enough to get done with this chapter!!! It seems like forever and a day ago I was writing chapter ten!!!!! I'm sorry for taking so long, I've been working on this Harry Potter story [Gets evil glare from non-Potter people] but it's not like I had to many reviews for this to continue.... But hey, it's all good! 'Cuz, I care about reviews but it's not running my writing 'career' Responsible Readers Respond!!!! LUV YA! BYE!!!} 


	12. Stupid Plan

Part 12-  
  
"Sneaking out is not recommended, Ms. Aberdeen." Said Gregory as he tightened the ropes around her wrists and leaned her against the wall. Ned was leaned next to her, his ankles tied like hers and a gag in their mouths. "But, it is alright, for capturing you will help my master. I will be promoted." 'To what, spit catcher?' Chloe thought and turned her head over to Ned who was looking down at her. His eyes darted to Gregory and back to the ropes on his wrists. Chloe winked quickly and none of this was noticed by Gregory. He smiled again. "I'm going to go find the Prince and then bring the two of you to him." He said and grinned. Chloe felt like she might throw up from the sight of his teeth, or the lack thereof.  
As soon as the small, ugly man left Ned started rubbing his thighs together furiously and Chloe gave him a questioning expression. He felt the knife raised up and through the top of his trousers. He started rubbing his legs together again and it came around to his back where his hands were bound and he was able to grasp the handle with his pinky and ring finger.  
Chloe watched intently, waiting for him to slice his ropes, or his wrists... Suddenly he was realeased and he bent over and cut his constrictive leg bondages. Ned pulled the gag off his face and breathed in deeply and smiled out of the corner of his mouth at her. She looked up at him and, if the thick material hadn't been in her mouth, would have smiled. He turned her around and undid her bindings and she grabbed him around the neck and hugged him. Ned raised his finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet.  
They crept out of the room, Chloe holding the keys by their lengths, so that they wouldn't jingle. They headed down the stairs to the dungeon to get their friends. Chloe fumbled with the keys to get to the barred hallway but dropped the black, rusted bundle on to the floor. Ned flopped his hands to his legs in frustration and grabbed them off the floor and opened the door. Chloe smiled meekly and he grabbed her shoulder affectionately. Chloe looked in one direction for the explorers and Ned in another. He found them all in once cell. He called for Chloe who ran as fast as she could in the large robes and unlocked the cage door. Marguerite smiled as they came out of the room. They started creeping out of the dungeon when a black hooded figure stood directly in their way.  
"Of course! What else would I expect." Marguerite said. They ran towards him and planned to swerve around him but he pulled out a sword in each hand.  
"Right, like that's ever stopped us before." Roxton said and punched the man in the face, knocking him out. Chloe looked down at the man and then back at John.  
"Everytime something like that happens, I'm eternally grateful I'm on your side." She said. They walked over the man and began running again out of the castle. A militia of guards barreled past them with crossbows in hand. They were following Gregory to the room where he believed he had Chloe and Ned held capitave.  
"Dammit," John said and pushed his back against the wall along with everyone else. They stifled their breath for fear of being caught. "We'll have to split up." He resolved.  
"I'm sorry, forgive me because this is going to sound rude, but that's a stupid plan." Chloe argued. "There's strength in numbers." She said.  
"But they can't catch us all at once and hopefully not at all. When you get out of Sanstone wait for everyone else by the river." John said and grabbed her upper arm and smiled at her. "Don't worry, we'll all be fine." The sectioned off. John with Marguriete, Ned with Chloe, and Veronica with George. Ned was the only one armed so that's who Chloe felt safest with, maybe that was the safest person to be with, but certainly not the safest route to take...  
  
{A/N: I haven't written on this in so long but last night I watched TLW and I figured out how I'm going to end it!!! YAY! I know it's really short, but the next chapter will be really suprising so. Oh I'm so excited to write it! Ok, everyone enjoy! Love ya! R&R} 


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